BMX Legend Dave Mirra wins rally, support

Dave Mirra Subaru WRX STI - NH Rally Win / Pete Kuncis - Onalimbracing.com

By Zack Newmark
January 28, 2009 5:33 PM
Filed Under: American, Entertainment, Japanese, Motorsport, Subaru

BMX and X-Games athlete Dave Mirra won more than just a race when he finished in first place at the 2009 Team O'Neil Rally in New Hampshire last week. He also won the support of Subaru Rally Team USA. The organization will give Mirra more support than he previously was receiving.

With Subaru Rally Team USA behind him, Mirra will now be able to participate in all nine rounds of the Rally America National Championship. He will also drive his rally car in X-Games 15 later this year. During the season, he will be behind the wheel of a 2008 Impreza WRX STI in the Super Production class.

Mirra took the win been behind the wheel of a BFGoodrich and Monster Energy sponsored, Vermont SportsCar prepared 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Mirra piloted the car to fastest times in seven of the eight event stages, winning the overall event by 50 seconds. He used the same vehicle in several races last year, which led to a 2008 Rally America Rookie of the Year title.

"I'm really excited to get my first win, the roads were a lot of fun here," Mirra said. "Running in these snowy conditions was perfect preparation for the Sno*Drift Rally next week, so I will have a lot more confidence from the start." The Sno*Drift Rally is the first race of the Rally America Championship series.

This is Mirra's first win in a rally career just one year long. He is much more well known as a BMX rider, having one medals in every X-Games event since its creation. In total, he has 23 medals from the X-Games.

Source: Subaru and onalimbracing.com

Press Release (Click to expand)

After having competed in only a handful of rally events, BMX legend Dave Mirra has won his first rally race, the 2009 Team O'Neil Rally, at the wheel of his SUBARU Impreza WRX STI rally car. Mirra dominated the New Hampshire-based snow rally by setting fastest time on all but one of the event's eight stages and finishing with a lead of fifty seconds. The wins comes just over one year after Mirra began his burgeoning rally career that has since seen him be named the 2008 Rally America Rookie of the Year as well as earn a Bronze medal at last summer's X Games 14 Rally Car Racing event.

"I'm really excited to get my first win, the roads were a lot of fun here," explained Mirra. "Running in these snowy conditions was perfect preparation for the Sno*Drift Rally (which serves as the first round of the Rally America Championship) next week, so I will have a lot more confidence from the start."

Mirra became a pro BMX rider in 1992 and holds the record for most X Games medals (including most Gold medals), and has medaled in every X Games since its inception in 1995. With his current X Games medal count at twenty one, Mirra is recognized as one of the World's most well known Action Sports athletes and is credited with bringing freestyle BMX into the mainstream.

Mirra has always been a car enthusiast and became hooked on rallying after friend and SUBARU Rally Team USA driver Ken Block introduced him to the sport. Mirra completed a test and training program with Vermont SportsCar in late 2007 and entered a limited number of rounds of the 2008 Rally America National Championship, making an impressive debut season to earn 2008 Rookie of the Year honors. He surprised rally veterans and casual fans alike on his rally debut at X Games 14 where he earned a Bronze medal, after defeating two championship-caliber, North American drivers in separate head-to-head heats.

Mirra's rally program will expand in 2009 with increased support from SUBARU of America, Inc. and Monster Energy that will see him join SUBARU Rally Team USA drivers Ken Block and Travis Pastrana at all nine rounds of the 2009 Rally America National Championship as well as X Games 15. Mirra will compete in the new Super Production class and will debut a 2008 SUBARU Impreza WRX STI early in the race season.